Donald Sultan
American (1951)
Born in Asheville, North Carolina in 1951, Donald Sultan is primarily known for his large still-life paintings, executed with bold contrasts of bright color and deep black forms, abstract compositions, and unorthodox media. The largeness of Sultan’s compositions, huge pieces of fruit, flowers, dominoes and other objects, set against the stark, unsettling tar-black background dominate the viewer.
After earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and this Masters from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Sultan moved to New York City in 1975 to pursue his career. Since his first solo show in 1977, he has enjoyed a distinguished career as a painter, printmaker, and sculptor. His extensive body of work has placed him at the forefront of contemporary art, where he has become best known for his ability to successfully merge the best of yesterday’s artistic tradition with a fresh, modern approach that is unique.
Donald Sultan's work is featured in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.